Sun-Times columnist Steve Neal dies

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | 2/19/04

[LdSentinal]

R.I.P.

[drhogan]

was this a suicide? the article seems to imply it with the repeated refs to "a carbon monoxide alarm" and his ill health, but no one seem to actually say it.

[Leroy S. Mort]

"Carbon monoxide alarm"? Sounds a little odd. No actual cause of death listed.

[KangarooJacqui]

was this a suicide? the article seems to imply it with the repeated refs to "a carbon monoxide alarm" and his ill health, but no one seem to actually say it.

My first thought was along those lines, too. Glad to see someone else ask the question first, though, as with my recent history, I wasn't game to.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Sounds as if he were a very good journalist. Sad. Here's his photo I found from one of his columns.

[Impy]

I heard on a commercial for the news that a Sun Times colunmist died but I missed the segment.

He was definetly a lib dem but his was still the best local political column and I always read it.

I wonder who will fill his shoes.

RIP.

[wita]

This entire article just dripped of LIB, and didn't go into specifics at all. Of course born and raised in Oregon might be a hugh (sp on porpoise) tip-off. How you gonna survive in Chicago as a political columnist unless you are a raging lib-dem, or a quiet one that everyone likes? And one more thing, not one word about his leanings despite being a great political columnist, something didn't smell right to me. You can't write one word worth reading unless you are grounded in something. It sounds like, Oh never mind, the poor guy died young, and it appears by his own hand.

[Impy]

I've posted my ill reactions to some of his columns here but it's unseemly to bad mouth the dead.

Here's one if you care to read it

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/955694/posts

[wita]

Phew, I think I enjoyed your comments in response, more than the article itself.

[Chi-townChief]

Mr. Neal was a democrat shill from the word go although I obviously would rather that he was still alive; pretty mysterious. You don't just keel over at 54, at least I hope not.

[Land_of_Lincoln_John]

I've heard from several ppl that Steve was a pretty heavy drinker.

[prairiebreeze]

Tragic regardless of circumstances. Sympathies to his family, daughters.

Prairie

[TheRightGuy]

Mr. Neal was a democrat shill from the word go although I obviously would rather that he was still alive; pretty mysterious. You don't just keel over at 54, at least I hope not.

Other reports say he was found dead in his car. Put that together with carbon monoxide warning and it sounds like he eithered offed himself or passed out from heart problem with the motor running.

[TheRightGuy]

Mr. Neal was a democrat shill

Who holds the record for posting most Steve Neal articles on FR, you or Billyboy. I don't recall many that were posted without a barf alert.

[BillyBoy]

Agree that you don't just "drop dead" at 54 unless it was the result of a massive heart attack or something. I'm betting the death was a suicide and they're not talking. Surprised that Steve Neal would do that, but who knows what was going on in his personal life?

It's not nice to speak ill of the dead, but I'll just point out his death is probably a blow to the Borling campaign. Every election, like clock-work, Steve Neal has been in the habit of writing articles proclaiming every pro-choice Republican candidate the "best bet" to win November. He probably was all set to do a Borling piece and was just waiting until two weeks before the election.

[chicagolady]

I heard on the radio he had been very sick. Cancer?

[chicagolady]

I heard on the radio he had been very sick. Cancer?

[Redbird Craig]

Too bad about Neal. I didn't like the slant of his work, but he was a skilled writer. As to all this talk about a drinking problem or suicide, let's allow the guy to get cold before engaging in random speculation. Leave that to Terry McAuliffe.

[reg45]

You don't just keel over at 54, at least I hope not.

My first wife "keeled over", two weeks before her 42nd birthday.

[spintreebob]

Suicide? Motivation? Steve was not a shill for "Democrats". He was a shill for the bipartisan combine. He was close to Big Jim Thompson and other combine members on the board who were self-dealing.

Another thing. Steve's columns were rife with accepting urban legends as fact when they were totally bogus. He did little if any fact checking. Other "liberals" do much better at the facts.